


Riverdale

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 21:07:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16354319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities
Summary: Oneshots for Bughead. I do not own the comics or show. Prompts accepted in comments!





	1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth Cooper had always been the good girl; had done everything everyone ever expected of her. She refused to let anyone down, least of all herself. Were the expectations she placed on her shoulder questionable? Certainly. Were the doable? Absolutely. And that was what kept her striving for perfection. She spent countless hours after school, working on the Blue and Gold. Then, when that was through, she'd go to her Vixen rehearsals, painting a smile on her face and putting extra pep into her cheers. She knew she was tired; knew that she was harassed. However, if spending more hours out of her house kept her away from the constant shouting she heard through her too thin walls, then so be it.

"Don't you ever go home, Betts?" Jughead Jones, her best friend, asked. Betty looked up at him briefly. Her and Jug had met back in third grade, when some bullies stole the book he was reading and flung it into the sand box. Not alright with anyone being mean to another person, Betty had marched right up to those kids and gave them a piece of her mind. By the time she was through shouting at them, they had scurried off and Jughead, whom she'd come to find out detested his full name, was looking at her in awe.

"Thanks," he whispered shyly, and Betty grinned.

"No problem," she replied before holding out her hand. "I'm Elizabeth Cooper but go by Betty."

Jughead took her hand. "I'm Jughead. Don't ask me my real name, Betts."

"Betts?" Betty asked curiously, and the little boy grinned a little.

'Well, I figured any friend of mine needs a nickname, too, since I expect them to call me by mine," he said softly, and Betty grinned.

"Betts," she whispered, trying out the name. "I like it. And I like your beanie."

"W-Want to try it on?" Jughead asked shyly. The rest, as they said, was history.

"Earth to Betts," Jughead said, waving a hand in her face. It caused her to come out of her stroll down memory lane and look at her best friend apologetically.

"Sorry, Jug, what did you say?" Betty asked, stifling a yawn behind her elbow. He sighed.

"I asked if you ever go home, which, clearly, you don't. I thought I was the only one who slept at school," he teased. Even though Betty could hear the light-heartedness behind his comment, it still clawed at her heart to know her best friend had lived at the school for a while. Jughead's teasing grin slipped off his face once he caught her troubled look.

"Look, Betts, its fi-," he began, but Betty held up a hand.

"Jughead Jones, don't say it's fine. Don't you dare," she warned, and he had the decency to stop talking. He looked around at the articles that littered their office.

"What's all this?" Jughead asked.

"Some leads I'm looking into about Jason Blossom's murder," Betty replied, biting her lip. Jughead picked one piece of paper up, reading it.

"Sisters? Like, the place they're keeping Polly?" Jughead asked in confusion, and Betty bit her lip harder.

"Yes," she whispered. "I need to know if she's alright. And, what secret my parents are trying so desperately to keep hidden."

Jughead looked over her shoulder at her computer, analyzing her research, before looking back at Betty.

"What time are we catching the bus?" Jughead asked, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"You're coming with me?" Betty asked, certain she misunderstood him but nope, he was still wearing that grin he had moments before.

"Of course. What kind of person would I be if I didn't help my best friend?" Jughead asked and Betty's heart sank like a stone into her stomach and rested there uncomfortably. All her life she had been fine with them being best friends, especially during the few months of her crush on one Archie Andrews. However, the idea that they could be something more always rested in the back of her mind, only allowed to come to the forefront when she was away from everyone else. She bit her lip.

"Betts?" Jughead asked worriedly, and she looked at him, thinking her words through.

"Do you ever wonder about us, Juggie?" Betty whispered, wringing her hands together.

"Wonder about us how?" Jughead asked carefully, and Betty felt, rather than saw, how he shifted an inch closer to her. She took a deep breath.

"I mean, you know, us," she whispered imploringly, waving a hand between them. She had half the mind to forget she started this conversation and dig her nails into her palm. As if sensing that's where her mind was, Jughead clasped her hand into his gently.

"Don't do that yourself, Betts, not again," he murmured, and she looked at him. Out of all the people in her life, he was the only one who knew the intricate details of her darkness. They had discussed it over dinner at Pop's one night. The mere fact that he was still standing there, next to her, left her astounded. She exhaled shakily and nodded, still looking at him.

"As far as thinking about us, there's no question," he murmured. Betty looked at him as he smiled warmly. Here she was, the perfect girl, the girl with expectations to meet, dropping her walls and baring her heart. And here was her best friend, the boy from the wrong side of tracks, baring his back to her. They joined their lips together for a chaste kiss. It was short and sweet, but full of promises for better tomorrows. Betty pulled back and leaned her forehead against Jughead's, sighing contentedly.

"I think I might be falling in love with you, Juggie," she murmured.

"Well, you're a little late to the party," he teased. "I've already fallen in love with you, Betts."

She pulled back. "You did? When?"

Jughead grinned. "Oh, just some day on an elementary school playground when this little girl stood up to some bullies. Her hair was in this perfect ponytail, and she had donned a superwoman cape."

Betty couldn't help it, she grinned, too.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments, if you have any Xxx This was AU a bit.


	2. Chapter 2

The florescent lights of the hospital glared at Betty offensively as she tapped her foot impatiently against the linoleum floor, waiting for news of any kind. She couldn't believe Jughead had handed himself over to Penny and the Ghoulies. And for what? A chance at saving the Serpents? Little good that did. As soon as FP had brought Jughead to the hospital, he left to rally his troops, with Betty promising she'd stay and look after her boyfriend. FP Jones had left somewhere near sunrise and it was nearly nightfall before he returned.

"How'd it go?" Betty asked quietly, and she heard the sigh FP exhaled. She looked up, noting the look of sheer exhaustion in his eyes.

"Ghoulies won," he said bitterly, frustration evident in his voice. Betty winced, wondering just what that meant for Jughead and his friends. She looked at FP sadly.

"I'm sorry, FP," she murmured, and she was. She wished none of this had ever happened. That she was able to prevent it. Including Hal being the Black Hood. As if knowing where her thoughts were leading her, FP cleared his throat.

"Listen to me, Betty," he said quietly, and she looked back at him. "None of this is your fault. Especially Hal Cooper."

Betty inhaled sharply, pulling the breath tightly passed her ribs. It was as if she was suffocating due to the mere thought of the Black Hood. She searched FP's face for any hints of dishonesty or anger but found none. She deflated.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. FP squeezed her on the shoulder.

"Not your fault, Betty," he reiterated. They fell silent then, waiting for news, any news.

XXX

When the doctor came out and spoke to FP, she said Jughead was still unconscious but had been taken to a room so, if he'd like to, FP could go sit and wait with him. Desperately wishing she could go with him, Betty recognized the fact that FP needed some time with his son. She smiled at the apologetic look on his face, nodding slightly.

"It's fine," she said softly. "I'll still be here when he wakes up. Go spend time with your son, FP."

A tired smile broke out over the Serpent's face. "Thanks, Betty."

Betty watched FP's retreating back before tucking her legs up to her chin and waiting some more.

XXX

Betty couldn't remember when she fell asleep exactly, but it was some time later that she felt her shoulder being shaken gently.

"Betty," a quiet voice said.

"Hmm?" Betty asked, rubbing her eyes and looking around. It was then that she noticed FP looming into view and sat up quickly.

"Is Juggie awake?" Betty asked hurriedly. FP sighed.

"No, not yet, kid," he murmured, and her shoulders hunched inwards.

"I have a few things to go do and figured you could sit with him?" FP asked, and Betty nodded, immediately standing to her feet. FP guided her to the room that Jughead was in, shutting the door behind her quietly. In the quiet room, Betty could hear every thought she had screaming loudly at her. Should've been there for him, should've stopped Hal, should've done more, should've, should've, should've…

As she sat down next to the bed and got a good look at her beaten and bruise boyfriend, Betty inhaled shakily, letting the tears fall.

"Oh, Juggie," she murmured, looking at him sadly. Every inch of him was either black, blue, or purple. Not one part of his skin was untainted by bruises and cuts. She hated Penny in that moment, perhaps more than she hated Hal Cooper. A fire ignited in her and she shook like a leaf from the sheer fury she felt. Clawing at her palm with one hand, she used her free one to trace her boyfriend's jaw.

"I love you," she murmured. "You've got a lot of people worried, you know. You need to wake up so we can see your eyes again."

As she sat there, talking to him intermittently, she began to feel some of the ache in her heart dissipate. The last few days had been tiring and strenuous, this was true. However, being there with her boyfriend, seeing his face, was enough to soothe any pain she felt. The steady beeping of his monitor reminded her that he was here, with her, alive and heart beating. That was all she could hope for.

"I wish I had been able to prevent this," she murmured sadly, staring at her boyfriend. "That you hadn't felt the need to hand yourself over to Penny and the Ghoulies. You should know, Jug: your father avenged you. He would've made you proud with his fierce desire to protect you."

She thought about her own father in that moment and the stark contrast between him and FP. Heart hurting, she looked back at Jughead.

"There's something I need to tell you," she whispered. "And, if I don't do it now, I don't know that I ever will."

Inhaling shakily, she began speaking about Hal Cooper being the Black Hood.

"He lied to me, Jug. Lied right to my face. He taunted me all year with cryptic calls and messages. Shot Mr. Andrews and killed Midge. I always wondered where my darkness came from. Now, I guess I know," she muttered, tears swimming in her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall, however. Jughead needed her to be strong, to be strong for him. She owed him that much, at least.

As she was talking, she felt light pressure against her hand, and looked up eagerly.

"Jug?" Betty whispered. He looked as unconscious as he did a moment ago, and the pressure against her hand disappeared, but Betty could've sworn she had felt it.

"Come back to me," she whispered. "Come back to me, baby."

XXX

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you, to help with your father," Jughead whispered, and Betty sighed contentedly. After leaving the hospital a couple of days ago to go deal with things, FP had called her that morning, telling her that his son had finally woken up. Betty had wasted absolutely no time getting to the hospital. As she laid against his chest, she focused on the calming beating of his heart and it soothed her frayed nerves.

They talked, gently and quietly. She let him know her plans of helping her mother, and Jughead let her know his plans of helping her. Even after everything that he had been put through, he still looked at Betty as if she lit up the night sky. Heart beating warmly, she laid her head back on his chest, tucking herself underneath his chin.

"You can't do that again, Jug," she whispered. She knew he would understand what she was referring to; his dance with danger in his attempt to restore the peace. He tightened his hold on her, kissing her hairline.

"And, you can't fight your demons, or Hal's, on your own anymore. Let me in, sweetheart," he murmured. Betty thought about his words for a moment, before nestling herself further into his arms and sighing in contentment.

"I will," she whispered. It was a promise she planned on seeing through. And, she would.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompt request about the missing scenes between Jughead's attack and when he woke up. Hope you like it! Got another prompt to get to. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Betty and Jughead sat in a booth at Pop's, tucked away in the corner from the outside world. Betty had bared her soul to her boyfriend the night before, telling him about the darkness that ran through her veins. She had showed him the crescent moons that littered her palms. Trophies she had collected over the years from the many times she had dug her nails into her skin, clawing away at her flesh painfully. Betty didn't know what was more traumatizing: her life, or the way she coped with her life. Luckily for her, though, Jughead still seemed to look at her as if she lit up the night sky with her smile alone.

Jughead hummed, pulling her out of her musings, and she blinked, looking at him. He wore a kind smile. It wasn't judgmental and it made her heart flutter.

"What?" Betty asked softly. He opened her palm and brought her hand to his lips, placing a delicate, feather-like kiss against her wounds while she watched him. Heart beating rather fast, Betty sucked in a breath of air, tugging it passed her ribs and holding it there.

"I want you to know, Betts," Jughead began. "That whatever darkness you think you have inside you or do have inside you, it doesn't make me think any less of you."

She thought his words through, letting them nestle themselves around every dark crevice in her heart. They warmed her from the inside out and she suddenly felt like she could breathe easier.

"Really?" Betty asked hopefully, voice low.

"Really," Jughead said gently. He traced comforting strokes against her palm with the pad of his thumb.

"But, why don't you tell me a bit about it? Let me all the way in?" Jughead asked, and she looked at him, noting the earnest look behind his carefully guarded eyes. She thought about her options. Ignore his request and continue spiraling downwards, away from friends and everyone who loved her. Or, tell him, and get the chance to free herself from the inner turmoil and hatred she sometimes felt towards herself. Inhaling shakily, she nodded and began speaking.

"I have this darkness inside of me that I can't make sense of. I don't know where it came from and it hits me when I least expect it. Like, at the hot tub, with Chuck. I know what I did, acting as if I was Polly, was inexcusable, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. In my quest for revenge for her, I was consumed by this raging fire inside of me. And, it scares me sometimes," she murmured.

"Tell me about that fear, Betts," Jughead murmured, and she nodded.

"I fear that I'm going to lose my grasp on it. That I'm going to lose my grasp on me. That I'll push myself so far past the edge of no return, that no one will be able to bring me back, not even myself," she sighed.

"I won't let that happen," Jughead promised quietly, and she smiled sadly.

"I'm touched that you care that much about me, Juggie," she murmured. "But, you don't know how far this darkness runs. I don't even know that."

That's what scared Betty the most. Not knowing just how dark she truly was. Not knowing what simmered beneath the surface of carefully tightened ponytails and sweaters. Sighing, she massaged her forehead with her free hand.

"Hey, look at me, Betts," Jughead said quietly. She didn't.

"Betty, please look at me," he said more firmly. She bit her lip, steadying herself, before doing just that. She noticed that nothing but gentle care swam in his eyes and it helped ground her.

"I don't care what you think may or may not happen," he said firmly. "I'm not leaving you to face this on your own. You've been doing that your whole life. Not anymore."

"I'm just so tired, Jug. Tired of everything. The issues between Polly and my parents, the issues between me and parents, everything," she emphasized. Jughead let go of her palm that had been resting loosely in his grasp and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him. He kissed her temple as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I know you are, baby," he murmured, and she thought that he might actually understand. The first person in a long time, too long. "But, you don't have to fight things on your own anymore."

Eyes closed, she hummed a little. "You fight things on your own."

"Until I had you to help fight them with me," he countered, and she opened her eyes, looking up at him.

"Nice save," she smiled softly, and he chuckled.

Betty voiced the thought she had that scared her the most. "What if I end up like Polly? At the sisters?"

Jughead tightened his grip on her.

"I would never let that happen," he promised vehemently, voice low and dark. She knew in that moment he meant his promise and that helped alleviate some of the tension that had popped up along her neck and shoulders.

"I don't care how dark you think you are, there's nothing you could ever do or say that would make me believe that you needed to be in a place like that," he added firmly.

"But…" Betty began, but he interrupted her.

"Nothing," he reiterated and that soothed the last bit of the ache inside of her chest. They fell silent then, each absorbed in their own thoughts and, for Betty, safety bubble. She couldn't believe that it had taken them this long to admit their feelings for one another, but she was happy that they finally did. And, if waiting as long as they did meant they got to be as strong as they were now, then that was all the better in her book. Sighing in contentment, Betty felt herself relax completely. Something, it seemed, her boyfriend had picked up on.

"See?" Jughead asked with a smile. "Nothing to be scared of. Not even yourself."

She smiled, too, murmuring an "I love you", softly. Jughead kissed her hairline and tightened his hold on her, leaving her to be content with sitting there in the booth at Pop's, worries far from mind.

Fin.

Author's note: A prompt asking to explore Betty's psychological demons. If you have any prompts, leave them in the comments! Xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Betty had been feeling off ever since she woke up. Exhausted to the bone, feverish, and rolling waves of nausea. She still donned her sweater and ponytail, however, and went to school. She was the perfect girl, after all. She said a quick goodbye to her parents, ignoring their questions about what she wanted for breakfast. The last thing she needed was to vomit everywhere in front of them. Sighing, she tightened her jacket around her and headed on her way to the school.

Once she had gotten there, her ailments had increased tenfold. She felt the queasiness of her stomach and blanched. Sighing, she raced into the school, ignoring the hellos people sent her way, and hurried into the bathroom, where she proceeded to lose the contents of her stomach, and it wasn't much more than stomach acid. When she was through being sick, Betty wiped the back of her hand across her mouth shakily and stood up. Luckily for her, no one had followed her into the bathroom so she was the only one in there. She walked slowly to the sink and began rinsing out her mouth with water. When she was certain she wasn't going to puke again, she tightened her ponytail and made her way out of the bathroom.

XXX

Betty made it until midmorning before anyone noticed she wasn't acting herself. Jughead stared at her as soon as he entered the newspaper room, eyebrows crinkling in concern.

"You look awful, Betty," he said, and she chuckled dryly.

"I think I have a stomach bug of some sort," she muttered. Just then, her stomach churned again, and she was rushing to the nearest trash can. The sound of her throwing up echoed around the room, leaving her embarrassed. That all faded, however, when she felt a strong, warm hand resting on her back.

"Easy, Betts," Jughead soothed, and she nodded, trying to catch her breath. When she was through being sick, she sat down from her crouched position on the floor and wiped a hand across her sweaty brow, watching as Jughead took a water bottle out of his bag and opened it.

"Drink some," he said, handing her the bottle. She took it eagerly, and took a sip of water, hoping to ease her aching throat. As she drank the water, Jughead placed his hand against her forehead.

"You're burning up, Betty," he commented, eyebrows pinched together in worry. "I should get you home."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. My mom would kill me if I left school for a little bug."

Jughead assessed her, sighing. "I think it's more than a little bug. I know your mother pushes you incredibly hard, in turn, making you push yourself even more hard, but you're sick. You need rest and fluids."

Betty frowned unhappily. "Please don't take me home."

Jughead smiled slightly, placing his hands underneath her arms and helping her stand to her feet. "I'm not, don't worry. We're going back to my place."

Betty was so surprised he was offering her a respite in his home, she simply let him guide her out of the room. After checking them out of school in the office, explaining to the secretary he was getting her home cause she was sick, Jughead led her to his bike.

"Don't worry, I'll drive slow. If you feel like you're going to be sick, though, just tap me and I'll pull over," he promised and she nodded, before getting on his bike. The ride was slow, giving her ample opportunity to think, something that distracted her from her queasy stomach. She and Jughead had always walked a line of "should they" or "shouldn't they". According to Ronnie, they should. Should give themselves the opportunity to explore whatever was undeniably growing between them. But, Betty would be lying if she said she wasn't scared at the thought of letting him in and baring her soul. She had demons, demons that no one but she should be forced to face. It wouldn't be fair to Jughead to bring him into that.

Sighing, she let her thoughts focus on not being sick again as they rode the streets of Riverdale. Eventually, the pulled up to his trailer park, and Jughead parked the bike.

"Come on, let's get you inside," he said, and Betty stood off the bike shakily. She allowed Jughead to lead her into his home and to the couch, where she sat down after some encouragement from him. She leaned back on the couch, resting her head on the pillows.

"I'll be right back," Jughead said, and she watched as he walked to a closet to the side of the kitchen, and opened the door, retrieving some things. He came back a moment later, arms bundled down with a couple of blankets.

"We need to keep you warm," he murmured, wrapping a blanket securely around her. It was the first time in too long that she felt safe. She couldn't remember anyone ever being this gentle with her; it was usually her job to take care of her friends and family. Shaking slightly, she watched as Jughead went to the kitchen for a moment, coming back with a glass of water and a bowl.

"In case you get sick and can't make it to the bathroom," he murmured, placing the bowl down by the couch.

"Why are you being so kind?" Betty asked quietly, eyes closed. She felt a light pressure on her forehead and vaguely wondered if he was stroking it with his thumb.

"Because, I care about you," he said softly, and it warmed Betty from head to toe. "Now, get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

Too tired to fight the pull any longer, Betty succumbed to sleep.

XXX

It was a few hours later that she was being woken up by Jughead gently shaking her shoulder.

"Sorry, Betts," he murmured as she blinked her eyes open. "But you need to see if you can eat anything."

Betty swallowed nervously, worried that she might throw up anything she tried to eat. Perhaps he saw her concern, but he was quickly continuing.

"Don't worry, it's just chicken noodle soup. We had some in the cupboards and I heated it up. If you can't eat it all, that's fine. I just want to try to eat some, alright?" Jughead asked. She thought about it, noting the effort he took to make sure she had something that could go down easily and not make her even more sick. She nodded her head.

"Alright," she said hoarsely, sitting up. Jughead brought the soup to her and she accepted it, along with some crackers, and ginger ale. As she ate slowly, Jughead talked to her intermittently.

"How'd your mom not recognize the fact that you're sick, Betty?" Jughead asked, and she sighed.

"I didn't sit down for breakfast and barely said goodbye to her this morning, so she wouldn't see," she replied. It was Jughead's turn to sigh.

"Blatant disregard for your health," he muttered, and she chuckled.

"Sorry, Juggie," she replied sheepishly. When she finished her soup, Jughead placed his hand on her forehead, frowning slightly.

"You're still pretty warm, Betts," he murmured. He shifted them to where he was laying down on the coach, pulling her onto his chest. Her heart beat against its confinement in her chest.

"Is this alright?" Jughead asked as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her.

"More than," she whispered. As Betty laid there, against his chest, with him tracing patterns onto her shoulder, she realized she was utterly and completely content. Sighing happily, she pushed her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling the scent that was simply him.

"Juggie," she whispered, before stopping. She wasn't sure how to voice how she felt; wasn't sure if she could find the right words if she tried. He seemed to get the gist, however. Squeezing her hand, he kissed her hairline.

"I know, Betty," he murmured, and she smiled. Perhaps getting sick wasn't the worst thing that could have happened to Betty Cooper.

Fin.

Author's note: One shot about her getting sick and Jughead taking care of her. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Request for where Penny kidnaps Betty. Set in Jughead's P.O.V.

It was the sound of his phone ringing the woke Jughead up. He had been up late the night before, talking with his dad about the best way to bring Penny and the Ghoulies down. He had meant to call Betty when he was through with talking to his dad, because she hadn't called him, but by the time the conversation was over, it was late, and he had assumed Betty would've already gone to bed. He had just planned to call her. Smiling slightly, it seemed like she was the one calling him this morning. Not looking at the caller ID, he answered the phone.

"Morning, Betts," he said, yawning into his elbow.

"Well," Penny drawled, and Jughead's heart stopped. "You're partly right. Its not Betty who is calling you but I do have your girlfriend here with me."

The bedsprings bounced as Jughead sat up, mattress dipping underneath his weight. "Let me talk to Betty."

"She's a bit preoccupied with some of the Ghoulies but she sends her hellos," Penny commented idly and Jughead felt his stomach coil tightly in fear.

"I swear, Penny, if they, or you, touch a single hair on her head, I'll stop you with my bare hands," he threatened darkly. Penny chuckled.

"Cute, kid, your love for her. Here's what I want from you…" Penny began to explain her demands, and Jughead listened intently, terrified for his girlfriend. When he was through promising to get what she wanted, she laughed.

"Smart man, Jughead. Now, run along. And, wait for my next call," she instructed. Jughead had found his voice again just as she was about to click off the phone.

"Wait!" Jughead demanded. "I'm going to need to hear from Betty myself that's she fine."

He waited with bated breath while Penny seemed to be weighing her options. Eventually, she consented and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Guys, stop hitting her for a moment and bring her here," Penny called to someone and the background and Jughead felt his blood boil. Before he had time to even begin to plan his revenge, Jughead heard labored breathing and a quiet, "Juggie".

"Betty, are you alright?" Jughead asked low and urgently.

"I'm fine," she murmured, sounding tired. Jughead winced went it sounded like she drew in a painful breath.

"Hang in there, baby, I'm coming for you," he promised quietly.

"I know," she said. "Juggie, list- "but she was cut off and Penny came back onto the phone.

"There, she's fine. Now, you better get going, Jughead," Penny said. "Wait for my next call."

She clicked off the phone then, and Jughead sat in bed for a moment, frozen, before springing into action. As he got ready, he knew he couldn't tell his dad. Penny had specifically said that if he brought FP into the mix, there would be bloodshed. Well, more bloodshed. The thought left Jughead cold to the bone.

He hurried out into the living room, looking around for his dad and spotting him in the kitchen. With a quick explanation that he had to get to school early, Jughead left the trailer, and hurried to his bike. He sent Toni and Sweet Pea a text, instructing them to meet him in the woods, and for Toni to bring Cheryl. He then sped off, hoping and praying for the best possible outcome.

XXX

"That washed up Serpent wannabee kidnapped Betty? Your girlfriend? My cousin?" Cheryl hissed thirty minutes later. Jughead had just finished telling Cheryl, Toni, and Sweet Pea, not to mention Archie and Veronica, whom he had called at the last second, what was going on.

"Is Betty okay?" Archie demanded, and Veronica squeezed his shoulder. Jughead ran a hand over his face warily.

"I think so. She didn't sound defeated when I spoke to her. You know Betty, she's not going to go down without a fight," he added.

"Damn straight," Veronica emphasized.

"So, what do we do, Jug?" Archie asked, and Jughead looked at him, thinking furiously fast.

"For starters, we get Betty back," he replied. "Then, we take down Penny and her gang of idiots."

"Shouldn't we tell your dad and, well, the rest of the Serpents what's going on?" Veronica asked. Jughead shared a look with Sweet Pea and Toni, who shook their heads at him. He sighed.

"We can't do that, Veronica. Penny threatened Betty's safety even more if we brought my dad into this. It's up to us to get her back," he muttered, heart clenching.

"And, we will," Toni promised, squeezing his shoulder. He wasn't much in the mood to be placated, and perhaps she noticed, because she was withdrawing her hand a moment later. He grimaced at her apologetically, but she smiled.

Cheryl cleared her throat, squeezing her girlfriend's hand. "I hope you guys are ready to fight, because, Betty's not going down without a fight and neither are we."

Jughead nodded once, fist clenched. "Let's go."

XXX

Jughead spent the day meeting Penny's demands and talking to the ex snake intermittently. On the off chance she was in a good mood whenever he called her, she would let him talk with Betty, who was sounding tired each time she got on the phone but holding it together admirably.

"I'm proud of you," he murmured.

"I know," she whispered, and it soothed the ache in his heat a bit.

"Hold on just a bit longer," he implored before the line went dead. "Betty? Betty."

Gritting his teeth, he pulled his phone away from his ear and stared at the screen. The call had ended.

Sighing, he looked up in time to spot Cheryl and Toni walking towards him.

"Got the money she wanted," Toni explained, arms weighed down with bags.

"I don't want to even know what you had to do to get that money, Toni," Jughead sighed. Toni smirked.

"Actually, Jug, it was Cheryl's idea," she replied, and Jughead looked at the redhead.

"Turns out Mummy doesn't need all of her clothes after all," she said simply, and Jughead grinned.

"Thanks, Cheryl," he said sincerely.

"Yeah, well, family protects one another," she commented, and Jughead heard the honesty burning behind her words and knew she was speaking from her frustration at Betty being kidnapped. He nodded slightly.

"Let's go, then," he said, chancing a glance at his watch, then the setting sun. He had promised he'd meet Penny at a warehouse on the edge of town and she had promised him Betty would still be alive by the time he got there.

XXX

When they pulled up to warehouse, Jughead got off his bike slowly, eyes peeled for any suspicious behavior. Just then, he noticed Betty being yanked towards him by her elbow by a man twice her size. He bit back a growl when he noticed she was limping. They stopped a few yards away from him.

"Betts, are you alright?" Jughead asked quickly, and she nodded.

"Yes. You shouldn't have come, Juggie," she whispered. Just then, Penny walked out.

"Right on time, kid," she greeted him. He picked up the bag of money that had been resting in the basket on his bike, keeping his grip around it tightly.

"Give it to me, Jughead," Penny said, but he shook his head.

"Let Betty go, first," he hissed.

Penny looked at him, then Betty, before nodding.

"Alright. Here's what we're going to do. You're going to meet me in the middle. You have the money, and I'll have your girl. Then we'll do a clean, even exchange," she said simply. Jughead weighed his options, realizing it was the best he was going to get and desperately wanted Betty back by his side. He nodded shortly.

"Alright," he said coolly. He eased his way towards Penny and his girlfriend, keeping a wary eye on Penny, in case she should try anything he didn't expect her to try. They met in the middle, and Penny reached out for the bag, but Jughead tugged it into his chest.

"Let her go," he said calmly. Penny narrowed her eyes.

"Give me my money," she hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. Jughead shook his head stubbornly.

"Not until Betty is away from you," he replied. Penny looked at him, before rolling her eyes.

"Fine," she muttered. She shoved Betty away from her, and Betty gasped. Jughead caught her before she hit the ground, dropping the money bag as he did so. Penny was quick to pick it up, just as sirens blared and motorcycles rumbled. Looking around, Jughead spotted his dad speeding towards him.

"Are you alright, son?" FP asked as soon as he got off the bike. Some of the Ghoulies had made a valiant effort at running, but they were outnumbered by all the Serpents; old and young.

"What're you doing here?" Jughead demanded, wrapping his arm around Betty's waist so she could balance herself on her uninjured leg. Cheryl appeared just then.

"You didn't honestly think I was going to let you rescue my cousin without backup, did you?" Cheryl asked, and Jughead glared at her.

"That was a reckless move."

Cheryl sniffed.

"It worked, and that's all that matters," FP said, nodding his head to Sheriff Keller and the fellow officers who were arresting Penny and the Ghoulies. Jughead breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. He looked at Betty, kissing her gently.

"Lets get you checked out," he said, and she nodded. They made their way to where an ambulance was off to the side, and she sat down on the edge of it. The EMT looked at her ankle, deducing it as a bad sprain, before wrapping it securely. He then tended to her cuts and bruises while a female EMT wrapped a blanket around Betty's shoulders. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks for finding me," she murmured. He kissed her hairline.

"Think you can do me a favor, Betts?" Jughead asked quietly.

"Anything," she promised.

"Never scare me like that again, please," Jughead implored, and Betty chuckled, interlacing their fingers.

"Deal," she murmured.

Fin.

Author's note: For the sake of this one shot, I had the Ghoulies and Penny arrested, but that was just for this one shot. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Prompt about Jughead proposing. Again, in Jughead's P.O.V. Also, AU.

Jughead Jones had been a cynical man his whole life. Having a mom who skipped town and a dad who was an alcoholic tended to do that to a person. He was forced to grow up at a young age; much faster than the rest of his peers, at any rate. By the time he was in high school, he had seen enough disappointment to last him a life time. When he got accepted on a full scholarship at NYU, for their writing department, he packed his bags and never looked back. He had nothing tethering him to his home any more. Sure, he'd miss JB, but his sister had moved in with a friend, so he wasn't too worried about her.

Fast forward four years later, and Jughead found himself a senior in college on the brink of graduation. He hadn't expected to make himself any friends, but, that's exactly what happened when Archie Andrews, a student on the music program, sat next to him at their orientation. Archie had come from a good life, so wasn't guarded about the intricate details of his life. Jughead had envied him of that at first, but then was simply astounded by the fact that Archie just seemed to be a good guy. He was whole; unjaded. It was refreshing to have a friend like that.

Then, there was Betty Cooper. He had met Betty one night at a coffee shop. If he was being honest with himself, he had seen her in the coffee shop on numerous occasions, hiding behind teetering stacks of books. Quick glances at the titles told Jughead they were all Psychology related and he assumed that was her passion. He'd watch her as he typed away on his laptop. He'd watch how she'd order two or three cups of coffee throughout the course of the night and continue studying. One time, she received a call from someone. He couldn't tell who it was but, the way she clenched her hand into a fist told him it wasn't particularly someone she wished to be having a conversation with.

"Why do you keep staring at her, man? It's creepy," Archie commented one day, and Jughead tore his eyes from the girl behind the Psychology book to give his best friend a withering glance.

"How long did you pine after Ronnie?" Jughead asked, eyebrow raised. Archie rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Just go talk to her, man," he said, but Jughead shook his head.

"No thanks. I don't usually strike up conversations with people," he reminded him, eyes returning back to his computer screen. He was writing his novel and knew he had a deadline to meet with his professor of his creative writing class on top of that. Just then, someone cleared their throat and he glanced up, to spot the blonde girl standing before them hesitantly.

"Hi, I'm Betty. I was wondering if either of you happened to have a pan? Mine ran out of ink halfway through my study guide," she said. Archie looked at Jughead, who was staring at Betty. He kicked him in the shin, and Jughead jumped, sending his best friend a glare.

"That's the worst, Betty. But, here, use one of mine," Archie replied, reaching out and snagging a pen off the table. It was Jughead's. Betty accepted the pen graciously, before going back to her table.

"You do realize you just gave her my pen, right?" Jughead asked.

Archie raised his eyebrows.

"My favorite pen," he emphasized. Archie just smirked.

XXX

Betty came back to the table a few hours later, after Archie had gone. She handed Jughead the pen back.

"Tell your friend I'm sorry for using his pen all day, but I appreciate that he leant it to me," she said. Jughead pocketed it, shrugging a shoulder.

"He'll get the message," he commented idly. Betty hesitated, smiling slightly, and Jughead's thoughts went into overdrive. When it seemed like she had no more reason to hang around his table, he cleared his throat.

"Uh, Betty, do you maybe want to get a cup of coffee? Take a break from studying?" Jughead asked, wondering, not for the first time, what it was about her that piqued his curiosity. She grinned, sitting down. They ended up talking well passed the sunrise, studies forgotten.

XXX

Betty Cooper was an enigma. One he planned on figuring out. Turns out, she was just as stubborn as him when it came to putting on a façade that hid her demons. He worked his way passed her carefully locked walls however, trying to reach her protected heart. One night, after a particularly lengthy conversation with her mother, Jughead learned just what she was doing when she was clenching her first. Eyes on the half-crescent moons that littered her palms, his heart bled for her as she told him about the fragile relationship between the mother and daughter.

"She expects me to be some version of herself that I detest," Betty murmured, fingers digging into her flesh. Jughead smoothed out her hand, rubbing soothing strokes against her bruised palm as he listened to her bare her heart to him. Looking back, even years later, he would always pinpoint that night as the night he fell in love with Betty Cooper, the woman who wasn't as perfect as she made herself seem to be. And, after baring his own heart back to her, he had seen the way she smiled softly at him, kissing him gently, before laying her head on his shoulder in their coffee booth.

XXX

After two years of being in a relationship, Jughead had to make the toughest decision he'd faced yet. Standing outside of the jewelry store, he thought over all the nights he had spent at Betty's apartment. All the nights where she studied and he wrote, or they stayed up talking. She opened herself up to him, brick by brick, exposing her darkest secrets. He still loved her as if she was the most amazing woman on the planet. And, to him, she was. He just needed to solidify that realization. Nodding a little to himself, he pulled open the door to the store, and headed in.

XXX

By the time he had gotten back to her apartment, (which, he totally had not moved into, thank you very much), Betty was studying for her last final of college. She had been stressed for the past several weeks, but not irritable. She never took out her frustrations on her school work on Jughead, something he deeply appreciated. When he let himself in from the warm spring evening, he noted that the apartment smelt like coffee and cinnamon, two smells he could equate to Betty.

"Hey, you," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her from where she sat on the couch. She hummed.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, leaning back into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head, before looking at the open text books, notes, pens, and highlighters that scattered themselves across her coffee table.

"Long night?" Jughead asked softly.

"The longest," she sighed, turning her head toward him, searching. He knew what she was after and joined their lips together in a chaste kiss.

"Keep studying, I'll make dinner," he said, and she smiled.

"You're the best," she murmured.

He left her to her studying, heading into the kitchen, where he began cooking, pocket weighed down with the box.

XXX

After dinner, Jughead and Betty cleaned up, then retired into the living room. Betty stretched out onto Jughead, studying, and he carded his fingers through her hair. Looking at her, he realized it was now or never.

"Hey, sweetheart?" Jughead asked.

"Hmm?"

"I love you," he said, and she smiled, slightly puzzled.

"I love you, too," she replied, and it warmed Jughead from head to toe. He eased her up, before getting off the couch. She watched him curiously, and he heard the way her breath caught in her throat when he produced the jewelry box. He popped open the lid, revealing the ring, and smiled softly at her. Gone were the nerves he felt. It was just him and her, the way it always was. He got down on one knee, noting the smile that adorned his girlfriend's, (hopefully, soon to be fiancé's) face.

"Elizabeth Cooper," he began. "I have loved you for the better part of three years."

"But, we've only been together for two," she commented, and he laughed.

"Didn't mean I didn't love you before then. And, don't interrupt," he shushed her, and she giggled.

"You let me in when you didn't let anybody else in. You let me see everything about from your love and light, to your darkness and scars. And, even though you thought you'd scare me away, I still love you. I always will. You've been the absolute definition of the best girlfriend. Not perfect, but perfect with your imperfections. I want to wake up next to you every morning and go to sleep next to you every night for the rest of my life. I want to have little versions of you running around, and I want you to be the Psychology professor you always wanted to be. I want to be there for you, cheering you on, when every dream you've ever had comes to true. I want to be there for the good, bad, and everything in between. Please say you'll do me the highest honor of being my wife?" Jughead asked, and Betty threw herself at him. He caught her, laughing, as he spun her around.

"Is that a yes?" Jughead asked.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Betty exclaimed, and he kissed her. For the first time in his life, everything was as it should be. And, that was good enough for him.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	7. Chapter 7

"Or until you realize you've been slumming it with me and decide you've had enough?" Jughead shouted, his words echoing in Betty's skull. She blinked back the moisture that had gathered in her eyes, shoulders hunching; the fight was drained out of her.

"I cannot believe you think that little of me, Juggie," she murmured, before turning on her heel and walking away.

"Betts, wait!" Jughead called, but she didn't turn around. She dug her fingernails into her palm, needing something to ground her. She shook like a leaf from the sheer frustration she felt. How dare he? How dare he think she was slumming it with him. Didn't he know her better than that by now? Didn't he know she loved him? Every dirty, messy detail about him? She loved everything about him, from his adorable smile, to that ridiculous beanie he was always wearing. Jughead Jones simply had no clue the effect he had on her. Sighing, she walked back downstairs, to where the party was, determined to forget the fight had ever happened.

XXX

The party wasn't nearly as fun anymore. Not with Chuck telling everybody the truth about what exactly had happened that night in the hot tub. Betty could feel every set of eyes on her, and Veronica squeezing her hand.

"It's okay, B," Veronica whispered. Betty couldn't bare to look at Jughead; she didn't want to see the shock and disappointment in his eyes he'd undoubtedly have. However, he took her by surprise when he flung himself at Chuck, punching him directly in the face. Betty breathed a sigh of relief when FP broke up the fight before Jughead could get hurt more than he already was. After that, the party ended and Betty hurried away, not looking back once.

XXX

It was some time later that found Betty and Jughead in a booth in Pop's. As far as uncomfortable silences went, this one was definitely at the top of the list. Trying to break the tension, Betty murmured something about Jughead being a lover, not a fighter. It worked to a degree; he at least cracked a smile. She listened to him talk, reveling in the fact that he was there, next to her, and didn't look like he planned on going anywhere. That caused her to feel more comfortable with opening up to him.

In a quiet voice, Betty began to explain the night in the hot tub, and the darkness she felt emanating from her. For his part, Jughead listened without judgement. He just let her talk at her own pace. Betty felt safe and secure, an occurrence that had been missing from her life as of late. She shared how she had gotten so caught up in getting justice for Polly, that she envisioned herself as Polly. She felt ashamed of herself, digging her nails into her palms. Jughead smoothed out her palm, uncurling her fingers.

"Don't do that to yourself, Betty," he whispered. She stared him. Here was this guy, this wonderful guy, promising to love her and bring in light to every dark crevice inside of her. It was overwhelming and unnerving, to know she meant that much to someone. Kissing her palms gently, Jughead looked at her.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Elizabeth Cooper," he said quietly, and she nodded, swallowing passed the lump that had risen in her throat.

"Just because you've got darkness inside of you does not mean you're evil or a bad person. We all have darkness inside of us. What we choose to do with it decides the kind of people we are," he said firmly and that soothed some of the ache inside of her heart.

"It's just," she began lowly. "I feel like I'm on the edge of this cliff, looking down. One step forward, and I tumble into the dark abyss, unsure of what is waiting for me."

Jughead kissed her palms again, gently. "I'll be on the edge of that cliff with you, then. Making sure you don't fall off it."

Betty stared at him for a long moment, eyes trailing over every freckle and line on his face, before kissing him gently.

"I think I love you, Jughead Jones," she murmured. She had been realizing it more and more lately, but had yet to say anything, out of fear of solidifying what they had. But now? Now she was desperate for him to know; desperate for him to see every part of her. He looked at her for what could've possibly been an hour for all she cared before a smile broke out across his face.

"I love you, too," he murmured. Then, as if it should've been that way the whole time, they continued onwards with one another. Never looking back.

Author's note: Just a short prompt I had for myself. Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	8. Chapter 8

Prompt: Betty is the one who falls through the ice at Sweetwater when the group is helping Cheryl get back to land. Jughead's P.O.V.

Jughead's feet slipped underneath him, causing his grip on Betty to tighten as he focused on balancing himself. Here they were, at Sweetwater River, searching for Cheryl Blossom. She had a cryptic message for Veronica earlier that day, leaving the raven-haired girl scared. So, that's how Jughead found himself in his current predicament. The group was easing their way across the fragile ice, towards Cheryl, shouting out for her to come to them.

Eventually, and with a sense of underlining urgency, Jughead and the rest of the group reached Cheryl. One look at her face told him everything he needed to know: she wasn't in the right state of mind and she was definitely punishing herself for her brother's death. Jughead watched as Betty placed her hand on Cheryl's shoulder.

"C'mon, Cheryl, let's get you back home," the blonde girl said gently. Cheryl looked out of sorts as she allowed Archie to help her stand to her feet. Sighing in relief, Jughead followed Archie and Veronica, who were guiding Cheryl forward across the ice. The mere fact that the ice hadn't cracked due to their weight was a minor miracle and Jughead was profusely counting his blessings. Just then, an ominous crack alerted him to the fact that he might have gotten a little ahead of himself in his gratitude.

Glancing around in alarm, Jughead spotted the ice cracking directly underneath a member of their group: his girlfriend.

"Betty!" Jughead shouted as she screamed and slipped under the water. Not concerned about anything else in that moment, Jughead dropped to his knees, assessing the ice. The crack she fell through wasn't big enough to pull her back out of, so he immediately started punching the surrounding ice to cause it to break even more. Jughead didn't take note of the fact that Archie had dropped down beside him, and that Cheryl and Veronica were huddled to the side, watching on in shock. No, all he could register was that his girlfriend had already been under water for about a minute.

Ignoring the searing pain in his left hand, Jughead punched the ice one last time before it cracked into a suitable shape to pull Betty through. Luckily for him, she was right where she had fallen through at so all he had to do was pull her through the hole. Once he had her on the ice, he noticed her pale face and blue lips, and wasted absolutely no time in performing chest compressions.

"Is she breathing, Jughead?" Veronica asked fearfully.

"Does it look like she's breathing, Veronica?" Jughead hissed, focused solely on getting his girlfriend to cough up the water she had swallowed.

"C'mon, Betts," Jughead muttered. He kept pushing into her chest, hoping that he could save her. He couldn't lose her; not this way. When it looked like the compressions weren't going to work on their own, he brought his mouth to hers', blowing air into it, before going back and doing more compressions. He heard soft crying and deduced it was either Veronica or Cheryl, but he didn't know for sure. All he knew was he wasn't about to give up.

"Jug," Archie whispered, but he shook his head.

"No," he said harshly, eyes never leaving Betty's face.

"Jug, man, we need to call someone. She's not breathing," Archie said, but Jughead ignored him.

"C'mon, Betty Cooper. Don't you dare leave me like this," he ground out through clenched teeth, before blowing air into her mouth one more time, lips icy to the touch. Just then, her hand twitched, and Jughead felt a surge of hope gush through him.

"Yes, that's it," he encouraged, and with fresh determination, he began the chest compressions again. After two of them, Betty immediately coughed up the water and Jughead was quick to turn her head to the side so he could be certain she would be able to expel all the water from her system. After coughing and spluttering for a few, long moments, Betty looked at Jughead.

"Hi," she murmured, voice hoarse. Jughead laughed weakly.

"Hi," he murmured back. She made to stand up, but Jughead was already bringing her into his arms.

"Veronica, call an ambulance," Jughead instructed. "I want Betty looked at to make sure everything's okay."

XXX

After one ride to the hospital and an assessment by a doctor, Betty was deemed healthy, but exhausted. She was given strict instructions to rest over the next couple of days and to come back if she didn't feel quite well. While Betty was being treated, Jughead was also being tended to in his own cubicle. Three of his knuckles had broken during his quest to get the ice to break, so he was being fitted for a cast.

Eventually, they were able to leave. Archie offered to drive them back to Jughead's trailer park, and Jughead accepted the offer gratefully. He was just ready to get some sleep after the taxing day. By the time they were dropped off, Betty had fallen asleep with her head against Jughead's shoulder. Wishing he could just carry her to bed but knowing it was impossible with his hand in a cast, Jughead began talking quietly.

"We're here, Betts," he murmured.

"Hmm?" Betty asked sleepily.

"We're here," he repeated, easing her up. She rubbed a hand across her eyes, before looking around. She nodded.

"Thanks for the ride, Arch," she said quietly.

"Get some sleep, Betty," Archie replied, and she smiled slightly.

"That's the plan," she murmured.

Jughead got out of the car at that point, holding the door open for his girlfriend. Once Betty was out of the car, too, Jughead dipped his head towards his other friends.

"Thanks for the ride, guys," he acknowledged, and Archie nodded once.

"No problem, Jug," he replied. Then, shutting the door, Jughead guided his girlfriend into his trailer, helping her get situated in his bed.

"I'm glad mom and dad are visiting Polly this week," Betty mused as she snuggled into the pillows. Jughead changed quickly, swallowed his pain medication for his arm, and crawled into bed as well.

"Me, too," he said, pressing a kiss to Betty's hairline. She snuggled further into his arms, sighing in contentment.

"I love you," she murmured.

"I love you, my Betts," he replied, glad to have her safely in his arms after the long, exhausting day.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx Have some to get to. Note: My laptop might be a little wonky right now, so I might have to take it in. I don't know yet, so just please bear with me. Thank you. Xxx


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Prompt about Archie and Jughead crashing during the race in season two. Worried Betty ensues. Enjoy. (Alternates P.O.V.s).

Jughead ignored Archie's pleas to stop the car. He was determined to beat the Ghoulies at their own game. He needed to prove his worth to the Serpents and himself. So, that's why he was taking sharp turns around tight bends on the winding road, oblivious to the fact that Archie was holding onto the door handle tightly.

"Jug, slow down," Archie implored, but Jughead just ignored him and continued taking sharp turns. He was next to Malachi by this point; the two drivers were assessing the situation, testing each other to see just how far the other driver would go. Just then, Malachi slammed his car into the side of Jughead and Archie's', causing Jughead to grip the wheel tightly so they didn't spin out of control as he tapped the break, ensuring the car stayed on the right path.

"You want to play dirty?" Jughead muttered. "Two can play that game, Malachi."

Jughead floored the gas, causing the car to dart forward, flying away from Malachi's. Out of his peripheral, Jughead could tell Archie's grip on the door had tightened significantly.

"Relax man, I'm not about to let something happen to us," Jughead reassured. Apparently, it did little to assuage Archie's fear; he just continued to hold on for dear life.

Jughead noticed how small the next corner was at the same time Archie did.

"Jughead, we're not going to fit," Archie said, but Jughead was already shaking his head.

"Have a little faith in me, Archie," Jughead replied smoothly. The look of doubletake Archie shot him did not go unnoticed by Jughead but he chose to ignore it.

"Trust you?" Archie demanded, and Jughead sighed.

"What?" Jughead asked.

"You haven't exactly been the most trustworthy guy as of late, Jug," Archie snapped. Jughead felt his eyebrows raise on their own accord as he watched the curve.

"Are you seriously the one giving me a lecture on trustworthiness?" Jughead scoffed. "Who was the one who came to me with Betty's breakup? You. Who's the one who put me down for joining people like me while my dad is in prison? You. Don't you dare give me a lecture on how to be trustworthy."

They were coming up to the corner and Jughead fell silent, sole focus on making this turn without crashing and still in the lead. He had barely made a dent in the turn when things went south. Fast.

"Jug, you're too close to the edge," Archie said, and Jughead didn't have to work hard to hear the panic that was clear in his tone.

"Let me just turn to the left a little," Jughead muttered, feeling sweat starting to gather on his brow. As he made to turn the wheel, he realized Malachi wasn't as further back as he originally thought; he was blocked.

"Hit the brakes," Archie demanded, but Jughead shook his head stubbornly.

"No," he said. "I can get us around this."

"Hit. The. Brakes." Archie hissed. Before Jughead had a chance to reply, Malachi slammed into their car again, causing them to hit the guardrail. Jughead knew not to panic, so didn't try to prevent the crash from happening; instead, he just went with it, guiding his car through it.

"Hold on," Jughead muttered, glancing at Archie as Malachi got ready to hit them again for a second time. This time, when the two cars collided with one another, the collision jolted Jughead's car even further against the guardrail, causing more damage. He could barely get his heart to stop thundering in his ears as he heard Archie's shouts as if he were underwater. Then, as quickly as a light being turned off, Jughead's consciousness slipped away when his head hit the wheel.

XXX

Betty had been watching for the two cars down at the end of the race. She had worked on Jughead's car so knew it would have no problems racing; it was the driver where her concern was held. Just then, she heard screaming and Betty's eyes spun around, looking for the source of the screams.

"A car has crashed," Toni exclaimed, and Betty felt her heart stop. She hurried over to the Serpent.

"Who's, Toni?" Betty demanded fearfully. Not meeting her eyes, Toni looked at the ground.

"Jughead's," she muttered, and that one word was all it took for Betty to launch herself forward, running towards where the car would be.

XXX

When Betty, (and, Veronica), reached the scene, Betty saw the car pushed up against the guardrail and Jughead slumped over the wheel.

"Jug!" Betty screamed. As she got ready to race to the car, Kevin and Sweet Pea caught up with them. Sweet Pea threw his arms around her waist, halting her.

"Don't," he said lowly, eyeing the car warily.

Tears that she had absolutely no control over began gushing down her face and she wasn't even aware that she had started shaking until someone tapped on Sweet Pea's arm.

"I'll stay with Betty and Ronnie; you go get them out of the car, Sweet Pea," Kevin's voice said and Sweet Pea nodded, relinquishing his hold on Betty. Betty watched as he ran to the car, feeling knots coil tightly in her stomach. Out of the corner of her eye, she realized Veronica, too, was crying, and pulled her into a hug.

As she held Veronica, Betty watched as Sweet Pea got Jughead out. Archie had started coming to and was able to get out of the car without much assistance. Veronica ran towards him and hugged him tightly.

"Don't you dare ever do that again," she said, and Archie laughed tiredly, before turning concerned eyes onto Jughead.

"Is he okay?" Archie demanded. Betty shrugged Kevin's arm off her shoulder.

"Does he look okay, Archie?" Betty hissed. "What the hell where you two talking about that got him distracted?"

"We didn't get distracted; we got hit by Malachi," Archie explained and Betty felt some of the fury in her system evaporating.

"Call an ambulance," was all she said.

XXX

Betty sat by Jughead's bedside for two days, waiting for him to open his eyes. She talked and read to him intermittently, hoping her voice would bring him some comfort. On the second day, when her stomach was a constant display of knots, Jughead began to mumble incoherently and she looked up from the page she was on eagerly.

"Juggie?" Betty whispered, and he cracked open his eyes.

"Hey, Betts," he croaked, and she immediately brought a straw to his lips so he could sip some water through it.

"Hey," she whispered, blinking back tears. She would be strong for him; she owed him that much.

"How bad am I?" Jughead asked after taking a sip of water. Betty frowned in sympathy.

"Two broken ribs and a concussion from where your head hit the wheel," she explained. Jughead shifted around on the bed, before opening an arm out to Betty; she looked at him curiously.

"Are you going to make me beg?" Jughead laughed, and she giggled herself before climbing onto the bed with him, curling into him.

In that moment, she knew they'd be okay.

Fin.

Author's note: I didn't have Betty explain the Black Hood in this oneshot because I have another request to do that in a different one. Enjoy! Prompts accepted in the comments. Xxx


	10. Chapter 10

Jughead didn't know what to do. There, standing on the other side of the door, was his kid sister.

"JB?" Jughead asked in disbelief and she smiled.

"Hi, Juggie," she replied, hitching up the strap of her duffel bag higher onto her shoulder. Jughead couldn't quite believe this this was happening; that the sister he hadn't seen in years was standing there, looking at him.

"JB, what are you doing here?" Jughead asked, still staring at his sister in shock. She had grown up from the kid she was when his mother had taken her and left him with his father. She wasn't the quiet kid he'd often look after when his dad was sleeping off his latest hangover and his mother was out of the house, trying to make sense of her broken marriage.

"I'm here to see you and dad," JB replied, smiling slightly. Jughead eventually cleared the shock from his mind and opened the door of the trailer house all the way and stood back, letting his sister enter.

"Who's here, son?" FP called down the hallway, footsteps trailing after his voice. It wasn't too long before he peered his head around the corner and froze in his tracks.

"JB?" FP mirrored his son's shock. Then, his face split into a wide grin and he was wrapping his daughter in a hug which was readily returned.

"Hey, dad," JB said, pulling away from the hug and looking at Jughead and her dad.

"Where's your mom?" FP asked, eyeing the young girl in concern. "Don't tell me you came here by yourself."

JB shook her head. "No, mom is at the hotel she got for herself. I told her I was old enough to make the decision about where I wanted to stay and that's with you guys. If that's alright."

Jughead shared a look with his dad, impressed. He always knew JB was headstrong and would make her own decisions one day. He just didn't know those decisions would involve seeing her brother and father.

"Of course that's alright, kid," FP said, grinning at his daughter.

"You can have my room," Jughead said. "I'll take the couch with dad."

JB grinned. "Thanks."

Jughead wasn't sure what to expect with JB and his mom back in town. He wondered if his mom would even attempt to see him. She hadn't reached out once in the years she had been gone. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to. Looking at his kid sister once more, he grinned.

"Welcome home, JB."

XXX

FP and Jughead went out of their way to make sure JB stayed out of the life of the Serpents. While he was their leader, Jughead didn't want his sister involved with them, a sentiment FP shared as he made sure JB stayed away from the motorcycle club. For her part, JB didn't let her curiosity get the best of her and inquire about the club. She just spent time with her dad and brother.

One evening, Betty and Jughead were in a booth at the back of Pop's, sharing a basket of fries.

"So, how is it? Having your sister back?" Betty asked curiously, swirling a fry in ketchup. Jughead sipped his milkshake, thinking about her question.

"Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic to see my little sister again but," he began but Betty interrupted him.

"It's making you curious about your mom," she summarized, and Jughead nodded.

"About why she only took JB," he muttered. He wasn't bitter about being left behind anymore but a parent taking only one of their children while leaving the other one behind leaves scars that are hard to hide. Perhaps Betty could sense the pain he was feeling, she was the only one who could read him like an open book after all, because she was squeezing his hand comfortingly.

"You know it's not your fault your mom left you behind, right?" Betty murmured. "Whatever reasons she had for taking JB and never looking back is down to her alone. You were just a kid."

Jughead felt his throat grow too thick to speak so simply returned the pressure on his hand.

They fell silent for a few minutes as the wind blew some leaves outside of the shop. Jughead watched as the fall night showered down orange and brown leaves before looking back at his girlfriend.

"I think," he began. "I want to see her."

"Your mom?" Betty asked and he nodded once. "I'll support whatever decision you make."

"I just need to know why she left me behind, for my own sake," Jughead said.

"What if she never gives you the answer you're looking for?" Betty asked quietly. Jughead shrugged.

"Then, that'll be the answer I need in itself," he said. Betty placed her hand against his cheek and he leaned into the warmth she provided. She kissed him gently.

"I'll go with you," she murmured. Throat thick once more, Jughead nodded, brushing his lips across her forehead.

XXX

The next day showed Jughead and Betty standing outside the hotel his mother had checked into. He had asked her to go to lunch with them and offered to walk with her. She had agreed. Just then, Ms. Jones walked out of the hotel, spotted Jughead, and made her way towards him.

"For-," she began but Jughead cut her off.

"It's Jughead. You know this. Or, do you? It's been awhile, huh?" Jughead asked, some of the bitterness he had sworn he didn't feel creeping into his tone. Ms. Jones nodded her head stiffly but didn't say anything.

"Shall-shall we go?" Betty asked, squeezing Jughead's hand. Jughead looked down at their joined hands before looking at his mother.

"Let's go," he said.

As they made their way towards Pops, Jughead thought about a topic to talk to his mother about. Truth was, he couldn't think of any – too many years had passed by for them to have a conversation in the realm of normalcy. When they got to Pops, they took their seats with Pop coming out and taking their order before leaving them alone.

"So, Fo – Jughead. How have you been?" His mother asked and Jughead looked at her.

"I've been fine, no thanks to you," he said quietly. Pop placed his coffee down on the table and he took a sip of it to give himself something to focus on. The anger he had been denying himself all these years since he had been left behind was starting to break free. He needed to keep himself in check.

"I would love to hear about how you're doing," she tried again.

Jughead snorted. "No you wouldn't."

"Yes, I would. Believe it or not, I do care about you."

The last sentence was what broke Jughead. Eyes flashing, he glared at his mom.

"Really? You care about me? That's great. Where was that care when you left a kid behind with his alcoholic dad? Where was that care when, years later, I called you, the night of a dance, saying I wanted to get on a bus and came live with you in Toledo? You told me no," he hissed.

His mother sat there, seemingly shell-shocked and at a loss for words. Jughead wasn't through, however.

"You may have convinced JB she was better off with you but why didn't you give a damn about me? What did I ever do to you? I was just a kid," he snapped.

"Jughead, I-," his mother began but he pushed his practically untouched coffee away from him and stood up, grabbing Betty's hand as he did so.

"By the way, dad changed. He's a better man now. And we don't need you, so stay the hell out of our lives," he growled, before walking out of the shop, not looking back once. Little did he know, the arrival of his sister and mother was only the beginning of the shakeup Riverdale would be facing.

Fin.

Prompts accepted in the comments if you have any.


	11. Chapter 11

Betty studied the laughter lines around Malachi's eyes; the way they crinkled inwards. He seemed very happy about something and that didn't sit right with her. Eyes on him for a moment longer, she made the snap decision to creep towards him with the intention of hearing what he was talking about. The closer she got to him, the more she tried to act nonchalant about standing around him. The last thing she needed was for him to figure out her game and call her out on it. Not with Jughead racing him in a matter of mere minutes. When she was close enough, she angled her body away from him, listening intently.

"…Jones won't know what hit him when his car wrecks," Malachi said, and Betty felt fear coil tightly in her belly.

"Yeah, how man bolts did you unscrew again?" One of his friends asked, and Malachi smirked.

"Enough."

Betty had heard enough to know she needed to get to Jughead before it was too late. Not caring for a moment if he saw her, Betty ran over to where the other racers were, not caring if they were friend or foe.

"I need to borrow someone's car, now!" Betty shouted, and someone appeared, pressing their keys into her hands.

"Here, use mine," came the reply, and Betty barely expressed her gratitude before she was jumping into the car and turning it on. She was off the next moment, not daring to look anywhere but straight ahead as she swerved around the tight bends. She had to get to Jughead. She couldn't stand the thought if anything happened to him, not with the way they left things. She had been so vague in her reasoning as to why she had Archie break up with him for her that she knew she couldn't live with herself if she didn't get the chance to rectify her mistakes.

As she took a sharp turn, she didn't realize just how narrow the road how gotten. Car spinning, she tried to guide it back onto its track but it was a hopeless cause. As she glanced out of the windshield, she saw the tree she was about to smash into. Praying it wouldn't be too painful, Betty felt the car slam forward into the tree trunk, jerking her forward. Her shoulder slammed into the steering wheel, with her head hitting the windshield. She was unconscious before the car stopped moving.

XXX

Jughead's P.O.V.

Jughead stared in front of him unseeingly. True, Betty had promised to explain everything to him once the race was over, that didn't mean he was quite sure he wanted to hear it. She had hurt him – having Archie do the actual breaking up was a low blow. Then again, he knew she was under a lot of stress. Stress about what, he didn't know; he just knew enough to know that she was struggling with her demons. And he, with his.

"Are you ready, Jug?" Archie asked, and Jughead looked at him. How he had convinced Jughead to let him ride with him was beyond Jughead. However, Jughead figured the extra person in the car could come in handy for the race. Jughead nodded.

"Ready," he muttered, still not one hundred percent happy with his best friend. Just as they got ready to get into the car, they heard shouting and screaming puncture the air. Freezing for a moment, Jughead looked around in confusion.

"What the hell?" Jughead mumbled. Just then, a car came racing towards them. Squinting, Jughead spotted Sweet Pea and Toni in the car. He hurried to them once it was parked.

"What's going on?" Jughead demanded.

"Betty," was all Toni needed to utter for Jughead to be jumping into Sweet Pea's car, demanding to drive.

XXX

By the time he reached the scene of the wreck, all he could see were people. Rushing out of the car, Jughead flew forward, trying to get to Betty. He couldn't make a dent through the wall of people but he still tried to elbow his way through.

"Oh my god," someone gasped, and Jughead looked around to spot Veronica staring at the scene in horror.

"What? What, Veronica?" Jughead yelled, and Veronica snapped her eyes onto him.

"The car caught fire. Where's the ambulance? I called them five minutes ago," Veronica exclaimed. Meanwhile, Jughead had finally found a sizeable gap in the gathering of people to fit himself through and he could see the car. Stomach lurching, he noticed red and orange flames licking the vehicle. He hurried forward but before he was able to take more than two steps, someone caught him, yanking him backwards.

Clawing at Archie's arm, Jughead hissed

"You'd let go of me if you know what's good for you," he growled vehemently. Archie tightened his hold.

"I'm not letting both of my best friends get hurt. The paramedics just pulled up and the fire department is here, too. Let them do their jobs," Archie said. Jughead fought futilely against the iron-clad grip Archie had around him. Tears of anguish gathered in his eyes and he wasn't ashamed to let them fall down his face, leaving trails of two rivers.

"Betty," he whispered.

"I know, man," Archie said.

By the time the fire fighters had gotten Betty out of the car and placed her on the gurney, Archie released his hold on Jughead. Not stopping to apologize to anyone, Jughead pushed himself through crowd, fighting to get to Betty.

"Betty?" Jughead yelled in panic as he saw her lying on the gurney with an oxygen mask over her face.

"Is she going to be alright?" Jughead demanded, looking at the paramedic who was administering oxygen to her.

"If we get her stable and to the hospital now," he replied before signaling to his partner to help lift the gurney. They loaded Betty in the back of the ambulance before looking at Jughead.

"You coming kid?"

As if he'd be anywhere else.

XXX

Jughead spent the next three hours waiting almost painfully on pins and needles to hear anything. His dad had come by to be with him, bringing coffee and a strong arm of support. Archie and Mr. Andrews were there too, along with Veronica and Cheryl. It seemed like all of Riverdale high had heard about the wreck and showed up to see if there was any news. It was suffocating to Jughead.

When the doctor finally, finally came out of the room, he looked towards the Coopers, who beckoned Jughead forward – he hastily made his way towards them.

"Ms. Elizabeth Cooper has suffered smoke inhalation, a concussion, and a dislocated shoulder. With some oxygen, physical therapy, and rest, she'll be back to normal soon enough. She's sleeping at the moment," the doctor said.

"Can we see her?" Mrs. Cooper asked while Mr. Cooper looked pale as a ghost. Jughead had found a secret comfort in Alice Cooper's resilience to bad news, though he'd never mention it, of course. The woman had just begun to tolerate him. The doctor nodded.

"Parents first, then friends," he said kindly.

Jughead took a step back to let the Coopers go into the room, desperately wishing he could be in there with them. When he was seated on one of the waiting room chairs, he took a sip out of his now cold coffee and looked around. Half the people in the room with him where there because they liked the juicy gossip. The other half? People who typically cared about Betty but didn't know her well enough to be genuinely fearful. Then, there was the handful of her closest friends. Veronica and Archie; Kevin and Toni; even Cheryl. People who, at one point or another, cared about her. Jughead felt touched on her behalf that they were there for her.

XXX

At a little past nine that evening, the Coopers stepped out of the room.

"She's awake and asking for you," Mrs. Cooper told Jughead, who had been in a light sleep. He rubbed a hand over his face and nodded.

"Thanks, but visitation hours are over," he muttered.

The smile Alice Cooper gifted him with was kind. "The doctor made an exception. You have half an hour."

Watching the couple retreat down the hallway, Jughead stood up slowly, before making his way into the room. He immediately spotted Betty sitting up and smiling tiredly at him.

"Hey," she murmured.

"If you could not give me a heart attack for the next ten years, that'd be great," Jughead said, sitting down in the seat next to her bed. She smiled sheepishly.

"Oops," she mouthed.

"Where were you even driving to?" Jughead asked.

"To you. To warn you not to get into your car. I overheard Malachi saying he had loosened some bolts and I didn't want you to wreck," she explained.

While news to him, it wasn't exactly surprising news.

"Malachi has a habit of playing dirty. You shouldn't have played right into his hands," Jughead murmured.

"I wasn't going to let you get hurt," Betty said quietly. Jughead fell silent and the only sound that was heard was the rhythmic beeping of her heart monitor, reminding him that she was still there, with him. When he did decide to reply, he chose his words hesitantly.

"I didn't think it would have mattered. I'm a Serpent," he said lowly. Betty patted the space next to her on the bed with her good arm and Jughead immediately sat down. She hesitantly locked her fingers with his and Jughead didn't unlock them.

"Of course it would have mattered, Juggie. You matter," she whispered. Jughead closed his eyes against the onslaught of tears he felt threatening to escape.

"Then why break up with me via Archie?" Jughead asked dully. Betty squeezed his hand, before placing a gentle kiss against his cheek.

"I couldn't bare to be the one to hurt you. I was a coward. Then, when I heard what Malachi did, I knew I could never live with myself if something happened to you and you didn't know the truth," she admitted.

"And, what's the truth, Betts?" Jughead asked.

"That I'm in love with you and always will be," Betty said quietly. There was a passionate urgency behind her words, as if she was in dire need of reassurance he believed her. Jughead had no problem providing that reassurance.

"I feel the same way, Betty," he whispered, before kissing her gently.

He didn't know where they were supposed to go from here but he was looking forward to finding out, with her.

Fin.

Author's Notes: Prompts accepted in the comments. Have some old ones to get to.


	12. Chapter 12

"C'mon, B, camping at Sweetwater River will be fun!" Veronica enthused, nudging Betty.

Betty sighed. "V, my mom already said she needed me at home this weekend to help with the paper."

"You do that every weekend, Betty," Cheryl rolled her eyes, tossing her long, red locks over her shoulder. Betty sighed for the second time in less than a minute.

"I'm sorry guys, truly, but I can't let my mom down," she muttered.

"Good girl Betty strikes again," Veronica declared dramatically and Betty rolled her eyes amusedly.

"Please tell me that's not what you call me behind my back, Ronnie?" Betty asked, and the raven-haired girl bumped her shoulder with Betty's.

"Only when I want to tease you," she assured. Just then Archie, Betty's other best friend, appeared next to Veronica, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"You guys ready?" Archie asked, looking at the three cheerleaders in turn. True, it wasn't just going to be the four of them going: the innermost people in their circle was going, so Betty knew they'd have fun with or without her being there. She shook her head.

"Count me out, Arch. Got a deadline to meet for the paper," she said. He smiled in sympathy.

"Your mom's deadline, I'm assuming?" Archie asked.

"Bingo."

After that, Betty split ways with the group. They were heading to Archie and Moose's' cars and Betty was hoping to catch the late bus. No such luck. By the time she got out, she saw it pulling away and knew she'd have to walk home. Sighing, she tightened her bag on her shoulder and began making the walk home.

"Well, well, what's got America's sweetheart walking home alone?" A voice Betty had no difficulty placing asked. Turning to look at him, Betty raised her eyebrows at the leather wearing, beanie-clad guy next to her.

"Jughead, what a surprise," Betty said, smiling politely.

"Careful, Betts, or your face will be a permanent smile and that's not good for your health," Jughead smirked, and the smiled dropped a little as Betty focused back in front of her.

"Where are your friends?" Betty asked.

Choosing to ignore her in option of his own question, Jughead repeated the question back to her. "Where are your friends? Aren't you guys glued to one another at all times?"

Betty sighed. "Not that its any of your concern, Jughead, but they're camping this weekend."

"And you didn't get the invite?" Jughead didn't work to mask his surprised tone. Betty quickly shook her head, not wanting him to think even less than of her friends then he already did.

"I did, I just couldn't make it. I have a deadline to meet for my mom's paper and I need it done by tomorrow afternoon at the latest," Betty replied, wondering why it mattered to him in the first place.

"Ah, yes, the ever-persistent Alice Cooper and her deadlines. There should be a fine against how many papers she expects people to write for her," Jughead smirked. Betty bit her lip, wondering why he was even trying to provoke her into speaking ill of her mother in the first place. Cutting her eyes to him, she looked down.

"Well, as fun as this has been, I really should get going," she said. Jughead stopped walking and let her pass by without a word.

"I'll be seeing you, Betts," Jughead said, smirk toying at his lips. Not saying anything, she hurried on her way. It wasn't until she was entering her home did she realize something: not once, all year, had she let anyone ever call her by the nickname Jughead had given her as a kid. Not sure what it meant that he remembered, Betty decided to push it to the back of her mind and get down to writing the article she promised her mom.

XXX

At seven, she decided to finish the article the next day with a set of fresh eyes. Standing up from her laptop, she made her way downstairs and towards the kitchen. There was a note on the counter saying her parents were out and to help herself to anything in the fridge or, should she want something else, there was some cash in the money jar. Taking out a twenty, Betty pulled her hair into a tighter ponytail and began the walk to Pop's.

By the time she made it to the diner and had ordered her usual, she was feeling tired. Long, strenuous days at school and far too high expectations placed on her shoulders often left her feeling drained. However, a good girl must keep up her appearance. So, she would do what was expected of her with no complaints and no one the wiser to how tired she was.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," came a voice and Betty looked up, startled. Jughead Jones was walking towards her, smirk fully intact.

"Are you stalking me now?" Betty hissed, eyes flashing. Jughead laughed.

"Relax, if I was stalking you, you'd know," Jughead promised, popping the collar of his leather jacket. Betty eyed him warily.

"Does that jacket make you feel on top of the world or something?" Betty asked, and Jughead smirked again.

"Now, that's for me to know," he replied.

Pop came by with Betty's order, then spotted Jughead.

"Your usual, Jughead?" Pop asked, and the raven-haired boy nodded.

"Thanks, Pop," he said. Pop walked off and Betty swirled a French fry in ketchup to give herself something to do.

"I thought you had an article?" Jughead asked, stealing one of her fries and popping it into his mouth. The man had blatant disrespect for personal space.

"I made good progress and decided I can finish it later," she said simply.

"Does writing papers make you feel on top of the world or something?" Jughead mirrored her question back to her, eyebrow quirked playfully. Betty smirked slightly.

"Now, that's for me to know," she echoed his response back to him.

Looking at her for a moment, Jughead leaned back in his seat when Pop placed a burger and milkshake down in front of him, nodding his thanks in turn.

"You're an enigma, Betts," he mused.

Not sure what to make of that, Betty eyes cast around the diner as she thought about a different topic. Her eyes landed on more members of his ganger.

"Why aren't you sitting with your friends?" Betty asked curiously.

"Ever think I like to do what's not expected of me?" Jughead asked, and Betty felt a momentary rush of thrill. Then, it was gone, as quickly as it had begun. She nodded her head. "Hmm."

Taking a sip of her milkshake, she popped another fry into her mouth and fell silent.

She could feel Jughead's eyes on her throughout their meal but didn't look up or acknowledge the heat fanning across her cheeks. She was certain he had noticed by now. By the time the meal was over, Betty reached for her wallet to pay for her half but Jughead beat her to it.

"Don't wound my ego, Betts," he said. She looked at him, before chuckling.

"Thanks, Jug."

They made their way out of the diner and Jughead lit a cigarette. Betty's nose scrunched up in displeasure as she watched him inhale and exhale the nicotine. Jughead quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What?" Jughead asked, inhaling the smoke into his lungs.

"You know those things kill, right?" Betty queried.

"Ever think I like walking on the edge?" Jughead questioned and Betty huffed, waiting for him to finish his cigarette. The least he could do was walk her home.

By the time he finished the cigarette and had put it out, he was looking at her again.

"Want some company back to your place?" Jughead asked, and she nodded gratefully.

"Company would be great, thanks," she replied politely.

She wasn't expecting him to produce a helmet from the basket on his bike and hand it to her.

"Get on," he encouraged and she hesitated, looking unsurely at the bike.

"C'mon, Betts, for once, don't do what you're told to do and do something you want to do. Live a little," he whispered, tantalizingly close to her face. She could count every freckle that littered his face.

What the hell was the final thought she had before putting on the helmet.

Jughead grinned victoriously and got on the bike, then patted the space behind him and she climbed on, too. She screamed when the bike took off, and she could hear Jughead laughing, but none of that mattered. What mattered was she was free. This was thrilling. No one could touch her as Jughead sped through the streets crisscrossing their way through the quiet town. Betty laughed as the wind whipped her face and stung her eyes. This was wonderful. She tightened her arms around Jughead's waist and hesitantly pressed her face into his back. She inhaled a scent of cologne and nicotine; a smell she would come to entirely equate to being his.

When the bike finally stopped, Betty looked up to spot the lights off in her house.

"Parents still aren't home," she murmured.

"As flattered as I am that you want to invite me in on a first date, I'm a gentleman," Jughead said, and Betty felt her cheeks ignite before she saw the smirk toying at his lips. She swatted his shoulder for his commentary.

"Jughead Jones!" Betty reprimanded, and he laughed.

"Relax, Betts. I'm just making sure you made it home safely," he said, and she nodded. She suddenly felt shy, standing on the street in her baby pink sweater and blue jeans. Jughead looked at her for a long moment.

"Look, I don't know how you feel about this but would you maybe like to do this again sometime?" Jughead asked, and Betty looked at him.

"Dinner and a motorcycle ride? You mean, like a date?" Betty asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, like a date."

She had no difficulty thinking about what her mom would say if she found out her daughter was dating the leader of a motorcycle gain. Then again, hadn't Jughead been the one to tell her to do things for herself? Deciding to take his advice, she nodded.

"I'd love to," she murmured. Then, not sure who was moving first, they were kissing. Their lips brushed against one another's and it was all Betty could do to not gasp.

When they pulled apart, Jughead brought his lips close to hers' one last time, tantalizingly close.

"Oh, and Betts?"

"Hmm?"

"Goodnight."

With that he was gone, and Betty was left to collect her thoughts and herself, unsure of when or how she had fallen for the school's resident bad boy. But, undeniably so, she had. And she was alright with that.

Fin.

Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments.


	13. Chapter 13

Jughead watched as Betty disappeared out of the bar, a feeling of lead sinking like a stone in his stomach. He had done what he'd sworn to himself he'd never do. He had broken up with her. Sighing, he made his way to where the rest of his friends where. Toni and Sweet Pea were waiting for him, Toni watching him in concern.

"Are you alright, Jug?" Toni asked, and he sighed, running his fingers through his raven locks in frustration

"I think the better question to ask is, 'is Betty alright'? And the answer to that is no. I think I broke her heart tonight," he muttered, eyes downcast as he replayed the conversation in his head.

"Betty, this isn't working out. You and I," Jughead had said, waving a hand between him and her.

Betty had frowned, looking at him carefully.

"Why not?" Betty asked cautiously.

Jughead knew that he could drag out the breakup with empty words but that would be painful for every member of the party. Not knowing what possessed him to say such cruel, untruthful words to his girlfriend, he spoke.

"Because I don't love you anymore," he said simply, keeping his face impassive. He watched as Betty's eyes filled with moisture that she blinked back furiously. Nodding her head, she said a simple "oh", before turning on her heel and striding away from him.

"Jug?" Toni's voice brought him back to the present moment and he blinked, looking around. Spotting Toni looking at him in concern, he rubbed a weary hand over his face.

"I messed up," he mumbled.

"Then fix it," Toni replied simply.

Nodding once, Jughead hurried towards the exit, his friends hot on his trail. As they ran out of the White Wyrm, it didn't take Jughead long to locate Betty: she was talking to someone in a mask.

"Is…is that the Black Hood?" Sweet Pea whispered. Jughead's heart was beating uncomfortably fast as he eyed the situation warily. What was his girl…ex-girlfriend doing talking to the Black Hood? He made a shushing gesture, telling them to stay quiet, before creeping forward, desperate to hear what was being said.

"Betty, you know I'm right," the Black Hood said, and Jughead watched as Betty looked at him, a fire burning in her eyes.

"I'm nothing like you," she said lowly, voice heated. Jughead felt his brow crinkle in confusion. Why was Betty talking to the Black Hood in the first place? As if they knew each other? Had she been in contact with him before?

"What the hell, man?" Fangs whispered.

"Shut up," Jughead hissed, watching the scene unfold in front of him.

"C'mon, Betty, you know better than that," the Black Hood said. "You know you're just like me. We both have darkness inside of us. I just got you to utilize yours' before you did."

Jughead's mind was working furiously. What the hell was the Black Hood talking about? Getting Betty to utilize her darkness before she did? What did that mean? Just then, the Black Hood held out a hand to Betty.

"Come on, Betty, let's go. There's work to be done," he said, but Betty shook her head.

"I won't go with you, I won't," she snapped, and Jughead could hear the tears in her voice. His heart clenched uncomfortably for the girl he loved. What had she gotten herself into? Just then, the Black Hood laughed.

"Betty, you know better than to defy me. You know what I'm capable of. You know what you're capable of," he said lowly. Jughead watched as Betty looked down, before looking back at the Black Hood.

"I'm not an evil person," she whispered. Jughead watched as her fist clenched and his heart bled as he knew what she was doing.

"Don't do that," he muttered under his breath. The Black Hood laughed coldly.

"Aren't you, though?" The Black Hood asked. Jughead watched as a trail of tears streamed out of Betty's eyes like two rivers and knew. He knew in that moment she had given up.

"Come on, Betty. Come with me. You and I can be unstoppable and untouchable," the Black Hood said lowly. Jughead couldn't bare to stand by and watch her look torn for another moment. Not caring for a minute about the danger he might be putting himself in, he hurried down the street.

"Betty, don't!" Jughead shouted. He didn't realize that in the process of not caring for his safety, he might be endangering his friends. The Black Hood moved so quickly Jughead questioned how he did it. One minute he had his back turned to him, the next he was facing him, Betty pulled tightly against his chest, gun held to her head. Jughead froze.

"Let's just all take a moment to calm down," Toni said, moving to stand to the side of Jughead. He wished she wouldn't. Then, Sweet Pea and Fangs came to stand on the other side of her.

"Jug, what are you doing?" Betty whispered, tears shining in her orbs. He bit his lip, uncomfortably aware of the last thing he had said to her. He had said he didn't love her. That was so far from the truth it was almost comical. Looking at Betty for a moment, he sent her what he hoped was a comforting smile before looking at the Black Hood.

"It doesn't need to play out this way," he said lowly.

"Sure it does, Jughead. You don't know what Betty is capable of," came the reply.

"Why don't you tell me, Betty?" Jughead asked.

"I-I turned in Chic to him. I nearly helped hurt Archie. I'm as bad as he says," Betty whispered, but Jughead shook his head firmly.

"No, baby, you're not," he said fiercely. "You're a good person who have had bad things happen in her life. There's a difference." He watched as Betty sniffled, looking like she was considering his words. He kept talking.

"There is absolutely nothing evil about you. The fact that you don't want to be evil means you're not evil," he said, trying to keep an eye on her and an eye on the gun against her temple.

The Black Hood laughed. "Of course he would say that. He doesn't know you the way I do."

Jughead watched as Betty closed her eyes and knew she was giving up the fight.

"Juggie…" she whispered, but he shook his head firmly.

"No. No. You listen to me, Betty Cooper. You are not evil. Chic? He was evil. You did what you had to protect your family; to protect yourself," he said, pleading with her to understand.

"He's lying, Betty. You did what you did because you didn't want Chic in your mom's life. You knew that if he was out of the picture, it'd be one less thing to worry about," the Black Hood said. Jughead felt fury dancing through his bones.

"Betty, look at me, baby," he implored. He waited for her to lift her eyes up to him before speaking again.

"I am not lying. You are not evil. Don't listen to him," he whispered.

Betty stood there, looking at Jughead for what felt like eons of time before she slowly started to nod.

"I'm not evil," she whispered.

"Not evil," Jughead reiterated firmly.

Betty studied him for a long moment before slowly exhaling. "Not evil."

She repeated this statement like a mantra and to Jughead, he assumed it probably was. He saw out of the corner of his eye how Sweet Pea was creeping forward and knew. Knew that he was trying to get Betty away from the other man.

"Don't do anything stupid," Jughead muttered, and Sweet Pea nodded. He kept creeping closer and Jughead kept the Black Hood talking.

"You have to know this isn't going to end well," Jughead spoke directly to the Black Hood.

"You don't know what I know," he said, tightening his grip on Betty. Jughead's stomach flipped. They were walking a dangerous road.

"Just let Betty come back with us," he implored, holding out a hand pleadingly, but the Black Hood had other thoughts. Inching his way backwards, he began dragging Betty towards the car at the end of the road. Sweet Pea was halfway to him before the Black Hood realized he was following him. He removed the gun from Betty's temple and pointed it directly at Sweet Pea.

"NO!" Betty shouted, and all hell broke loose. Jughead watched, almost as if in slow motion, as Betty elbowed the Black Hood directly in the stomach, disarming him. They fought with the gun. Heart in his throat, Jughead ran towards them, coming to a halt when he heard it go off. Freezing for a moment, he looked around widely.

"Oh god," he croaked. He spotted Betty laying on the ground and rushed to her, Black Hood gone.

"Betty? Betty. Come on, look at me," Jughead said, dropping to his knees. He took off his jacket and pressed it to the wound against her stomach, trying not to pay attention to how much blood was seeping through her shirt.

"I'm sorry," Betty said weakly.

"No, don't talk. You're going to be okay," Jughead said. He looked around, spotting Toni and the rest of his friends watching from the side.

"Get help. NOW!" Jughead shouted, and Toni was off, calling for an ambulance. Jughead pushed Betty's hair off her forehead, noting how pale she looked.

"Just hold on, alright?" Jughead whispered.

"Juggie," she said softly, breathing labored.

Jughead shook his head. "Hey, don't do that, Betty. Don't give up."

Closing her eyes, she nodded. He kept pressure on her wound, talking to her intermittently as sirens pierced the night air.

"Help is coming," he murmured; she didn't say anything. Closing his eyes against the onslaught of tears, he leaned forward, brushing his lips across her forehead.

"Just hold on," he whispered.

XXX

It was several hours later that found Jughead staring at an unconscious Betty, listening to the rhythmic beating of her heart. He traced his hand along her arm that wasn't home to an IV.

"I need you to just listen alright?" Jughead asked quietly. When she didn't look like she was going to say anything or wake up, Jughead continued. "I never stopped loving you, despite what I told you. I said that to keep you safe. Look how well that turned out."

"Yeah, well, I like walking on the edge," came a mutter, and Jughead looked up to spot Betty smiling at him tiredly.

"Hey," she murmured.

"Hey," he laughed weakly, leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead.

"I love you," she said, and he nodded.

"I love you, too," he said

They fell silent then for a few moments, with Jughead thinking over his words carefully.

"Why didn't you tell me how bad it was?" Jughead asked, knowing she'd have no trouble knowing he was referring to the things the Black Hood made her do. She shrugged.

"I was handling it," she mumbled tiredly, and he sighed.

"I wish you just had told me. I could've helped you," he exhaled.

"We both wanted the other to be safe," she said quietly.

"No more secrets, alright?" Jughead asked, and she nodded, before grimacing.

"Ow," she muttered, holding a hand to her chest.

"Just take it easy," Jughead said, rubbing the pad of his thumb across her knuckles. She nodded.

"What happened to the Black Hood?" Betty whispered.

"Sweet Pea thinks he got hit and is out there, wounded somewhere," he said softly. He watched as Betty took in his words before speaking again.

"It's over, Betts," he murmured.

"For now," she exhaled shakily, and Jughead knew the fear she was feeling mirrored the own fear he felt. He didn't know what to expect now. He just knew the game was just getting started.


	14. Chapter 14

Prompt about season one

The hallways were eerily quiet at five-thirty in the morning, what with no students filling them up with their laughter reverberating around the school's four walls. Betty tightened her ponytail as she hurried across the hallways, feet making music against the linoleum floor. She was at Riverdale High early that Friday morning because she had an editorial to check over in the Blue and Gold and knew she'd be able to work much more efficiently without the sounds of students bothering her.

Once she reached the room that housed the Blue and Gold, she unlocked the door with a set of keys the principal had given her personally. Taking a look around the room, she noted everything looked to be just the way she had left so sat down and got down to the reason she was there: editing. An hour later, she shut off her laptop, put it away, and stood up. Stretching her arms above her head, she knew she needed to go put her stuff in her locker if she wanted to be ready for seven am practice with the other Vixens.

As she walked the empty hallways, she heard something near the boys locker room that made her stop. A shower was running. But the question was why? Who'd be here that early when practice didn't start until seven like all the other ones? The Nancy Drew in her had her curiosity piqued enough to consider investigating; she even had reached a hand forward to trace the door handle when suddenly it was being pushed open from the inside and she jumped back in surprise.

"Ah!" Betty gasped, handing flying to her throat.

"Betty?"

"Juggie?" Betty asked incredulously, wondering what on earth had possessed him to take a shower at six-thirty in the morning at their school.

"What are you doing?" Betty asked, watching the way Jughead shifted around on the balls of his feet uncomfortably.

"What are you doing?" Jughead parroted her question back to her.

"No, seriously Jug, what are you doing taking a shower at school on a Friday morning?" Betty inquired with a frown. Jughead sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Betts," he muttered, pushing past her. But she wasn't Nancy Drew for nothing. She followed him, repeatedly asking him why he was there and why he wasn't taking a shower in his own home. Finally, he sighed.

"They shut my home down," he muttered, and Betty frowned.

"What?" Betty asked bewilderedly.

"Think about it, Betts. What was just recently shut down?" Jughead prompted.

"The drive in," she supplied immediately, and he nodded. Realization went off like a lightbulb.

"You were living at the drive in and now you're living at school?" Betty asked softly. He nodded once. "Oh, Juggie."

"It's fine, Betty. I don't want or need your pity. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself," he said firmly. By this point they had reached the closet he had made his bedroom. "Now, I'm going to get dressed so stay out here." With that he shut the door and Betty was left pondering her thoughts.

"Where's your dad?" Betty asked quietly, once the door had been opened and Jughead had reemerged. Jughead sighed.

"Pretty sure giving a little TLC to the whisky bottle," he mumbled, and Betty's heart bled for her friend. Sure, they weren't as close as they once were but the did not mean she didn't care about him and wish him well. Biting her lip, she thought of her next question.

"What are you doing for food?" Betty asked.

"Pop's still open," he replied, and Betty frowned.

"Burgers can't be the only thing you live off of, Jug," she said, and he chuckled.

"You clearly underestimate my digestive system, Betts," he smirked, and it almost felt as if they were the carefree teenagers they were before the summer, and Jason's murder snatched their innocence away from them.

"This isn't right, Jughead," Betty reiterated, and he sighed.

"Nothing in my life has been "right" in a long time, Elizabeth Cooper," he said simply. Betty watched him, seeing the vulnerable kid a parent left behind on her quest for a fresh start, and in doing so, only taking one of her children with her. Betty didn't know if she wanted to kiss away his scars, hold him and tell him it was okay, or simply cry for his pain. Maybe all three. All she knew was she couldn't bare to stand another minute of him living there.

"No, no. You're not staying here. We-We'll work something out. I'll talk to Archie. I'm sure Mr. Andrews wouldn't mind you living with them – he's loved you as if you're his own son," Betty said, squeezing him on the shoulder.

Jughead looked at her a long moment, taking in everything, before smiling slightly.

"Why do you care, Betty?" Jughead whispered.

"Because, Juggie," Betty smiled, closing the distance between them, "I care about you."

Fin.

Author's notes: Prompts accepted in the comments.


	15. Chapter 15

As Jughead laid in his bed, he kept repeating the night with Penny and the Ghoulies. How they had mercilessly left him for what they thought was dead. And, if Betty hadn't called his father, he probably wouldn't have survived the night. Inhaling shakily, he closed his eyes as the memories hit him like a tidal wave.

Laughter. Lots of it. Echoing in his eardrums as the Ghoulies had their twisted fun with him. Him, barely conscious but conscious enough to feel the knife in his skin when Penny had sliced off his tattoo. He had just kept visualizing Betty's face in his mind, detaching himself from his body. It was her and him; they were at Sweetwater River and they were alone. No one could touch them.

Jughead wasn't aware of the pain in his chest at first -wasn't aware that he was gasping for breath. What if Penny had gone after Betty? His other friends? His dad? The woman showed no remorse for any of the actions she took – what's to say she wouldn't end with Jughead's life? Before he knew it, he was in the process of a full-blown panic attack, something, (no matter how much he tried to pretend otherwise), was becoming a regular occurrence.

He clenched his fist and squeezed his eyes shut tighter, picturing Betty and only Betty. She was his rock; his safe haven. However, when it looked like just picturing his love wasn't going to ease the panic, he knew he needed to do the next best thing: he called Betty herself. She picked up after one ring.

"Hello?"

"C-Can't breathe," Jughead gasped, too far gone for pleasantries. He heard her move around but then became lost in the abyss of fear he felt again.

"Just hold on, Juggie, I'm on my way. Stay on the phone with me, alright?" Betty implored, and he gasped again.

"Hurry," he uttered, feeling like his lungs were about to shrivel up at any moment, leaving him with no air.

"Talk to me, Juggie," Betty said, and he heard a car starting – he assumed she had taken Ms. Coopers'.

"Hurts," he managed to say.

"I know baby, I know," Betty said softly. "I'll be there soon."

He fell silent then, focusing on pulling as much air passed his ribs as he could manage.

"Is the door unlocked?" Betty asked urgently, and he exhaled, hoping she'd take that as confirmation that it was.

"I'm here," she said, and the next thing he heard was her running into the trailer, straight to his bedroom and dropping down on her knees next to him.

"Okay, hey. Hi. It's okay," she murmured over and over, running her fingers through his hair.

"I-I remember e-everything," Jughead gasped.

"About the attack?" Betty promptly asked, knowing the potential trigger of his panic attack. Jughead just nodded.

"Not one of them took pity on a kid getting the hell beat out of him. Not one," he ground out. He started shaking, remembering every punch and kick; every mock and insult thrown his way as they pounded against him. Betty wrapped her arms around him to where she was easing him onto her lap, helping him stretch out along the floor of his bedroom.

"Let's just ride your panic attack out together, alright sweetheart?" Betty asked softly. "You and me."

"You and me," Jughead muttered, eyes squeezed shut impossibly tight.

"You and me," she murmured. They fell silent then as she rubbed a soothing hand up and down his spine. He tried not to picture anything but her face; tried not to feel anything but her arms wrapped securely around him.

It took several long, painful moments before he slowly started coming back to himself. It was an out of body experience for him, as it was every time the attack would strike him. He felt his fingers tingling, his heart racing, and his legs shaking.

"Shh, shh," Betty soothed into his ear over and over, rubbing his back. When he finally had gained control of himself, he laid across her lap, still as a statue, and focused on getting his breathing back to a steady pace. Finally, he cracked open an eye and looked up at Betty who wore a look of pure concern.

"Sorry," he whispered, but he knew what her response was going to be.

"Jughead Jones don't you dare apologize for letting me in. All the way in. Even when it means I see you at your most vulnerable," she said lowly, leveling him with a look. He nodded. They fell silent once more and Jughead thought about how things could have gone so much worse for everyone if he hadn't handed himself over.

"They could've killed my friends, my family. They could've killed you, Betty," he said quietly, voice hoarse.

"But they didn't," she murmured. "We're fine baby, and that's thanks to you."

He nodded. He knew they were all fine – well, almost all fine. There were still the Serpents who lost their lives the day the battle took place.

"What about the fallen Serpents?" Jughead whispered, heart clenching uncomfortably at the thought. Betty ran her fingers through his hair, and he leaned into the touch unconsciously.

"We're at war, Juggie. There's going to be pain on both sides," she said quietly. "What we've got to do is help hold one another up as we fight. Help make sure our side isn't damaged too much."

He thought her words through, knowing there was a truth ringing behind them. He eventually nodded and sat up, tucking her into his side and placing a gentle kiss to the crown of her head.

"Feeling better?" Betty asked quietly, locking their fingers together. He inhaled her scent, (strawberry and vanilla), and nodded.

"Yeah," he replied softly. He inhaled her scent one more time and pulled her tighter into his chest. He was tethered to Betty in a way he couldn't explain, not even to himself. She was his anchor. With her, he was safe. He was home. And that was good enough for him.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's note: Prompt about Betty telling Jughead about why she broke up with him and protective Jughead ensuing. Prompts accepted in the comments.

Betty stood on the edge of the trailer park, looking at all of the trailers. She could map the route to Jughead's trailer in her sleep, but that still didn't stop the flurry of anxiety she felt swirling in her belly at the thought of walking up to his door and knocking on it. She had promised him at the race that she would explain to him why she had broken up with him and why she had sent Archie to do it. She planned on seeing that promise through – she just needed another moment or so to work up the courage.

After taking a deep breath, she crisscrossed her way through the trailers, reaching his. She came to a stop as she raised her hand to knock on the door. What on earth was she supposed to say to him? She was sorry that she sent Archie of all people to end their relationship? That she still loved him but a masked killer was controlling every decision she was making? Would he even believe her? She had to find out one way or another. She knocked on the door.

Jughead opened it a moment later, looking at her in surprise.

"Betty?" Jughead asked, and, despite her best efforts, she noticed that his tone lacked the usual warmth reserved for her. She nodded.

"Last I checked," she smiled weakly, trying to bring some humor into what would be a hard conversation. He didn't crack a smile and she couldn't even blame him.

"What are you doing here?" Jughead asked, frown toying at his lips. It was Betty's turn to frown.

"At the race I told you I'd explain everything…" she trailed off, hoping he'd fill in the blanks.

"Yeah, but I didn't think that meant you'd risk your life walking to my home at night. There's a killer out there or have not heard?" Jughead asked, opening the door wider and granting her entrance into his home. She nodded once.

"I believe I did hear something about that," she mumbled, wishing her stomach wasn't feeling queasy all of a sudden. Jughead went and perched himself on the armrest of his couch, looking at her expectantly and suddenly she found herself having no idea what on earth to say to him.

"I don't know where to begin," she admitted quietly, looking at her feet.

"I hear the beginning is as good as a place as any," he said softly. Betty nodded, inhaling shakily, and began talking.

"That starts with the calls I've been getting," she murmured, looking up at Jughead who was frowning at her.

"What calls?" Jughead inquired, but she shook her head – she'd get there eventually. Right now she just had to tell the story to the best of her capability.

"I'll explain about that in a moment. Do you remember my speech the night at the Jubilee?" Betty queried and Jughead nodded once.

"He was there," Betty murmured.

"Who, Betty?" Jughead asked, confusion etched into his face.

"The Black Hood," she whispered.

"Is that who's been calling you?" Jughead demanded incredulously.

She gave a bitter chuckle. "Surprise."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Jughead asked softly, and Betty shook her head quickly.

"I couldn't. He was threatening even more bloodshed if I told anyone and I couldn't let that happen," she whispered. At some point, Jughead had stood up and guided her to couch, clasping her hands in one of his.

"You're shaking. Just take a breath, alright?" Jughead asked gently, and she nodded, willing her trembling to stop. When she had gotten the shaking under control, she continued onward.

"So, then the Black Hood started making requests of me, saying we're alike and that I needed to see that," she said hesitantly, still very much aware of her darkness brewing just underneath the surface. Jughead seemed to sense where her thoughts were taking her because, despite whatever pain he was feeling, he rubbed comforting strokes against the back of her palm.

"You're not evil," he said softly, and she nodded, small smile gracing her lips.

"What happened next, Betts?" Jughead asked quietly, and she felt tears pool in her eyes at all of the awful things she had said to Veronica.

"The Black Hood demanded I end my friendship with Ronnie or there would be a price to pay," she whispered, staring at their hands. Jughead inhaled sharply.

"I'm assuming you did?"

"Only for a day, but I said awful things to her. Things no one should ever say to another human being, friend or not. I needed her to think that I didn't want her in my life at all to keep her safe," Betty choked out, and Jughead let one of his hands fall from holding hers' and placed it on her lower back, rubbing comforting strokes there.

They fell silent for a few minutes before Jughead spoke up. "I'm assuming the Black Hood had something to say about me, too?"

Betty just nodded as tears grew in her throat, hot and thick.

"He said I-I had to break up with you or you'd be in danger. And, I couldn't stand the thought of someone hurting you more than you've already been hurt in your life, Juggie. I couldn't stand it," she whispered. Jughead hushed her.

"None of that matters now, Betts. Just keep telling me what the Black Hood wanted you to do," he instructed, and she nodded. It was easier to talk to him than she thought it would be. Once she had started talking, the words fell freely from her lips in an almost cathartic mannerism.

"While the Black Hood was playing mind games, he was also having me jump through physical hoops," Betty said lowly, and the hand that was rubbing her lower back came to an abrupt halt.

"Like what?" Jughead asked.

Betty sighed. "Like wanting me to hurt Archie. Arch found out. Said he wouldn't let me handle it alone. Well, he got dragged into the mess too, and the Black Hood wanted me to hurt him, and, and…"

"Hey, shh, it's alright," Jughead shushed her, pulling her into his chest. She bunched up his shirt in her fist and cried properly for the first time since this nightmare began.

"I'm sorry. God, Jug, I'm so sorry," she gasped, and he resumed rubbing a firm hand up her back, alternating hushing her gently and humming. She felt herself start calming down at the same time he did because he began speaking quietly.

"None of this is your fault, Betts, so quit punishing yourself for it," he instructed, and she looked up at him through her watery eyes, only to spot him flip her palm over to expose the fresh half-moon crescents littering her palm. She swallowed.

"I just didn't know how to cope," she whispered, and nodded.

"I know," he said quietly. "I'm not going to let you face this on your own anymore."

She looked at him. "What?"

"You've always thought you had to face things on your own. Well, I'm here to say you don't have to. So, quit being stubborn and let me help you," he murmured, eyes staring into hers'. She traced her top lip with her tongue, thinking her options through before nodding hesitantly.

"Okay," she whispered.

"First things first, I'm with you at all times until the Black Hood is caught," he said decisively. Betty shook her head.

"Juggie, you've got the Serpents," she reminded him.

"I don't care," he said firmly. "I love you. I'm going to make sure you get through this."

Betty froze at hearing those words.

"You still love me?" Betty asked hopefully, and Jughead caught a tear with his thumb that had slid down her cheek.

"Of course I do. This is me we're talking about," he laughed.

Heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks, she couldn't help herself as she laughed right along with him. She didn't know where they were going to go from here but she knew it could only be better.

Fin.


End file.
